James GUPPY

My name is Matthew Walter Guppy and I live in Western Australia. I'm a direct descendant of James Guppy & Mary Ann Guppy (nee Griffin) who emigrated from London to South Australia in 1849. Shipping intelligence records that they arrived on the barque 'Florentia' not the barque 'Prince Regent'. James and Mary Ann Guppy aged 25 and 19 years old emigrated under the “Colonization Circulars” scheme departing from London aboard the barque ‘Florentia’ on the 9th March 1849 to start a new life in South Australia. After 14 weeks at sea the barque ‘Florentia’ arrived at the McLaren Wharf, Port Adelaide on 20th June 1849 and was the 10th immigration ship to South Australia for that year under the scheme. Accompanying James and Mary Ann on the same journey was Emma Griffin, Mary Ann’s younger sister aged 16 years old. William Griffin, Mary Ann’s father a police sergeant also makes the journey from London and arrives in Adelaide aboard the barque ‘Casper’ on 10th September 1849. James Guppy’s youngest brother Walter Guppy aged 17 years old arrives a month later from London aboard the barque ‘Prince Regent’ being the 13th immigration ship to arrive at Port Adelaide, South Australia on 20th July 1849. Settling in Adelaide, James and Mary Ann start a family having four children who become the first Guppy’s born in Australia. Their first son William Guppy was born on 19th April 1850 followed by Eliza Guppy on the 30th January 1852 and then Emma Guppy born 13th December 1853 all in Adelaide, South Australia. It’s thought that the first three children were named after Mary Ann’s father and her two younger sisters. Walter Guppy was the fourth child, second son born to James and Mary Ann Guppy in Adelaide, South Australia on 6th October 1855 and was named after James younger brother. James Guppy along with his wife and four young children moved from Adelaide around 1853 to commence farming on leased sections of the Parra Wirra Hundred from The South Australian Company. Their property was located the Adelaide Hills district of Talunga at Chain of Ponds, which today is near the town of Kersbrook. Walter Guppy also followed his brother James into farming leasing 80 acre sections of the Para Wirra Hundred and the Moorooroo Hundred at Tanunda Creek in Flaxmans Valley near the Barossa. Both James and Walter Guppy were mentioned in a South Australian Government Gazette dated 13th April 1854 as being rate payers of Parra Wirra. However on the 10th July 1856 tragedy struck the family when James Guppy dies at 32 years of age from Inflammation of the Lungs at Chain of Ponds leaving behind his widowed wife and four young children. Walter Guppy (jnr) who was 10 months old at the time of his father’s death would never know his father in real life. Walter Guppy (senior) who was informed of his brother’s death resumes the responsibility as head of his deceased brother’s family. Later on the 7th November 1856, Walter marries Widow Mary Ann at the ‘Swiss Cottage’, Rundle Street in Adelaide where William Griffin, Mary’s father and her sister, Eliza Leane (nee Griffin) are witnesses to the ceremony.